Lunches...36º

Joseph Schools were known for having the best hot lunch in the county...Prices were kept low and all kids were guaranteed a hot lunch...Mr. Williams, our superintendent, set a good example for students and staff alike, by eating lunch every day...Our campus was closed, keeping students on the school grounds during the lunch break...They could bring a sack lunch, but none were allowed to go down town for a "burger, fries and coke."...Lunch prices for students in 1977 were an average of .40 cents a day...Our two kids could eat lunch for less that $16.00 a month, a bargain even in those days...Students were allowed to come back for seconds, after cleaning up their tray...Of course as with any program, there were always complaints, such as; Why should "little Johnny" have to eat vegetables, can't you offer more choices and why can't my child have pop instead of milk?..The most common complaint from the adults was, your lunches are too fattening, but guess who showed up early in the kitchen, when the smell of cinnamon rolls permeated the halls, looking for a handout.

I have to agree our lunches were often high in calories and part of the reason was the Government Commodities, offered throughout the school year...Butter and cheese was at the top of the surplus list, next came flour, (white and whole wheat.) Sometimes we would get canned fruits and vegetables, dried prunes and figs, peanuts (when Carter was president,) ground beef and chicken...In order to keep lunch prices low, we used commodities as much as possible because they came to us at a very low cost...Government guidelines were in place to insure that meals were nutritious and supplied kids with enough calorie to get them through the afternoon...When in reality, we could provide that, but it was up to the child to eat what was good for them...Some times, it was eat dessert first and dump the rest of the food in the garbage!..Over all, it was a good program, nice people to work with, a well arranged kitchen and good equipment to make the job easier...I had found my niche...Hugs To All...OWAV:)